The best way to learn dodgeball is to get pelted, which is pretty much what happened to Mookie Betts in center field last night.

The Red Sox believe Betts can be a big league center fielder, but the adjustment from second base — where Betts was considered a well-above-average defender — isn’t going to happen overnight.

That makes experiences like last night’s 4-3 loss to the Angels so ultimately valuable. Betts was tested three times on balls he’s not necessarily going to see in batting practice or the minors, making one running catch to rob David Freese of a two-run homer in the triangle, missing another Freese drive on an ill-advised dive that resulted in a triple and giving good chase to a ground-rule double in the ninth.

“I think this will be great for the long run,” Betts said. “If I’m an outfielder for a long time, I think these things will be good for me.”

Start with the play in the second. With Erick Aybar on first, Freese ripped an Allen Webster pitch toward the home bullpen. Betts raced back and made the catch on the run against the short fence in the triangle and then fired to the infield to complete the double play.

“When he hit it, my mindset was just go get it, and I happened to go catch it,” Betts said. “I think it was over the fence, but I don’t know.”

Freese had better luck with Betts in the fourth, when his sinking liner froze the novice center fielder for a split second. Betts tried to snare it on the dive, but it rolled past him and to the wall. Webster stranded Freese at third, however.

“Pretty much just have to get a better read, but (Webster) picked me up, so I’m not worried about it,” Betts said.

Betts, who was 1-for-4 with a double, had no chance on Brennan Boesch’s drive deep to center that hopped into the bullpen for a ground-rule double.

“He hit it a long way,” Betts said. “I tried to go get it. I couldn’t.”

With the Red Sox in 2015 mode, they’ll take nights like last for what they are — learning experiences.

“I think every game played in center field is going to be a positive experience for him,” manager John Farrell said. “Given that he’s gone through a positional change this season, particularly against major league hitters and their ability to drive the ball a little bit more consistently here than might be otherwise at the Triple-A level, every game played here is going to be a positive one for him.”